LEARNING MODULE FIVE (REDO)
Due Wednesday 3/2 no later than Noon
Imagine you are participating in a conversation with the Combahee River Collective and, in a consciousness-raising group, you read the following article. Using the Combahee River Collective Statement and what you have learned in the past weeks, discuss a black feminist perspective to this issue (In 2-3 paragraphs). How would the Collective approach the issue, especially with regard to privilege, interlocking oppressions, “the personal is political”, and a critique of the limitations of dominant feminist and anti-racist approaches to hierarchies of inequality. What new perspectives might they offer? Be creative…imagine you are sitting at the table with them!
http://www.theroot.com/views/recy-taylor-symbol-jim-crow-s-forgotten-horror
The Combahee River Collective is a feminist group that has been formed to get the society more aware of the oppression against black women in the community. They have dealt more with politics than most oppression groups before them. The article we read is something that, if they Collective were around at the time, would have partnered with Parks and the other groups to defend Recy Taylor and her case. If I was sitting at a table discussing what to do in that situation with the Collective, I know that they would be discussing every possible way to find a solution to getting the society more aware of what was going on.
ReplyDeleteTogether, the groups get the society more involved and aware by even getting the smallest towns hearing about the incident. The article doesn’t says that Recy and her family didn’t even know that the NAACP was doing all the things it was doing until years later. Getting the word out throughout the country is a very important none the less, but getting the state of Alabama and the city of Abbeville even more away might be even more important than not.
The article talks about Governor Sparks worried about the reputation of Alabama and the city being tainted, and I think they should have emphasized that more. The Collective would have found ways to get the government of Alabama to realize that they are wrong and they cannot just simply say that the accused are innocent in their crime when the evidence proves them guilty.
The phrase "the personal is political," is trying to imply that incidences that many happen or influence one's lives personally should not be kept fabricated to a few people, but should be publized upon a request, seen about in further notice. Politics such as the government and in Taylor's case police officers should have been investigating the case and tried to stop the act that was broadcasted to Taylor and her family, so another incidence like that would not happen again among the area. The act portrayed upon the Caucasion men proved to others that since it was a woman whether her race, they had an advantage of the situation over it being a man because women have limits when referring to the dominant feminist aspect among society.
ReplyDeleteEquality is something that has influenced everyone's lives because everyone strives for equality among society from little things such as boys and girls trying to be dominant over each other in school, to bigger things such as within job settings for equal pay. The Combahee Collective would say that to sustain equality among people and of different races , persistent acquistions would need to be done to adhere to the fact of everyone being equal and sometimes it takes political issues to be involved to assist the personal aspect of someone's life or situation.
If I had the privilege of conversing with the Combahee River Collective I would first tell them the amazing things they did for black feminists and how they impacted so many. Secondly I would listen to what they had to say about this unethical article about Recy Taylor and her rape in 1944. I believe these well articulated women would be very classy yet appalled in their approach to discuss this issue. After reading this article is it clear no one was ever punished for what they did to Mrs. Taylor after 67 years. I will now demonstrate what I think would be said by the Collective regarding this case.
ReplyDeleteFirst a meeting would be called, and all delegates would report to their chairs. Second the president, would read the article out loud then open the floor for discussion. The first women brought up the topic of privilege, and incurred how black women in the 1940’s had basically no authority. Moreover, she spoke about how if this happened to a white women she feels as though Alabama would not have keep this a secret and more people would be paying attention. Although she is offended as a black woman herself, she is not bashing white women merely pointing out the obvious privileges white women have over black women.
Then another member of the Collective stands up and takes the floor. She draws everyone’s attention while she raises their theory of “personal is political.” We know that this is a political realization that comes from the seemingly experiences of black women’s lives. Racism is clearly an all-encompassing factor in this case. From the day it happened in 1944, there was nothing done because she was a black woman. Today this is still the situation.
There was more discussion that followed. However after everyone put in their own opinion the group had to come together to decide what they were going to do for Mrs. Taylor. They came to the unanimous decision to take this one to the state. After a long hard battle the women won their case and the men were finally found guilty of all charges.
(Although this was a made up scenario, and none of this happened, it would be the justice Recy Taylor deserved for having to live all these years in pain and suffering).
@AlMills I agree that Alabama is wrong for keeping this case closed and never proving these men guilty. It is embarrassing for our state. Good response!
ReplyDelete@Claire Gould : Great Blog! I wish we could all be equal and stop living in this segregated world.
Members frome the Comnahee River Collection,are one of many groups that uses the phrase, "the personal is political." This phrase is so strong and true because many personal issues are in fact made into political issues. Members believe that sometimes it take political issue to assist with personal issues. Let's take black women for example. In today's society, black women are faced with double oppression: race and sex. Although I don't completely understand the actual hardships that women go through by experience, I do have an idea due to the fact that I have a sister.
ReplyDeleteIf i had the opportunity to participate in a convention with members from the Combahee River Collection, we would more than likely discuss something that adds to the oppression list for women. The article was about a crime in Alabama and how it was mislead although evidence proved them guilty. Taylor was a female in a situation that was male dominated. The members would start a very heated discussion arguing that it is wrong and sends out the wrong reputation for the state of Alabama. Someone probably would recognize the fact that women still have limitations today and are still facing social inequality. After coming up with a few ways to end this, we would probably go out for lunch.
The "personal is political" is completely exemplary to the article about Recy Taylor. The Combahee River Collection, would have tackled this issue with force; which was one thing missing from Recy. She explains how she wished she would have spoken up a little more about the terrible event she had to go through. But groups like the Combahee River Collection could have spoken up in her defense. The fact that there is many underlying issues with her story, makes it even more worth fighting for. Not only is there the issue or racism, oppression, rape, but also the question is surfaced as to "why isn't her story told in the history books." Further showing that writers may be subjected when it comes to selecting the "history of the civil rights movement."
ReplyDeleteIf I were to discuss this issue regarding Recy Taylor with the Combahee River Collection I would argue the injustice within the state of Alabama. The evidence regarding these men being guilty is an issue that is with the state government and it's policies. The "defined" rape the state of Alabama follows needs to be challenged, and this case needs to be reopened. Many individuals can relate to this being a very heavy issue of the political stagnation regarding not only injustice, but race, and and sex. I would imagine myself getting very fired up about the political stagnation with this state in comparison to others.
If I had the privilege to stand before the Combahee River Collection I would stress how this incident makes for significance for a whole congregation to fight for. The journalist in the article talked about she has taken to duty of fighting for Recy and trying to spread her story. I think that is imperative in reopening a case, that most people would put on the back burner because it took place during the civil rights movement. If injustice cannot be fixed, I would ask for help from the Combahee River to help devise a plan to have the state offer an apology. That I feel would be even more difficult to get out of the state, but one can hope that self actualization of the incident can invoke such a gesture.
Black women have the same reputation that they have had for the past several decades. It's completely wrong and unjust, but they have done a good job of being strong and moving their way up in the world. For example there are several female black athletes, such as the Williams sisters playing tennis, who are making statements for not only themselves but their gender and race. This idea is portrayed in the article "Straitening Our Hair." Black women also prove that they want to make a statement and prove everyone wrong. The fact that black women feel the need to change for people to appeal to them without being all natural just shows how ridiculous the stereotyping of our society still is. I agree with the women who say that the first Africans to move here have been ripped out of their culture. I think that everyone needs to give them a chance to be themselves without having to judge them right off the bat.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Combahee River Collection, they understand that most of black women's personal issues become political because that is the only way for them to make resolutions sometimes. Interlocking oppressions are present within the black female population because they are discriminated twice. For being african, and for being african american women there life experiences become much more difficult and confusing. If I spoke spoke of all this with the Collective, conversation would definitely be agreed upon because most everyone would strongly oppose the fact that black women don't have the privileges that they should.